Snowed In
by Missie
Summary: A kawaii lil' first season romance between Darien and Serena. It's my first fic so be kind.


Warning: This is rather long, I guess, for a one parter. Be nice to the poor blonde, it's her first fic.  
  
Disclaimer: Considering that I just blew all my money Christmas shopping, I am not in the postion to be able to pay you any money if you try to sue me, therefore, I say right now, Sailor Moon does not belong to me.  
  
  
Snowed In  
  
  
Serena sat at a booth in the arcade. She was surrounded by notebooks, textbooks, piles of papers, and other such school items. She was leafing through a notebook, her brow wrinkled with thought. Her tongue was sticking out the side of her mouth like it always did when she was deep in concentration. Her hair was tousled. She yawned tiredly.  
  
Andrew came over to her. "Hey Serena, can I get you anything?"  
  
"Sure Andrew, how about a Sprite. I think I need the caffeine, I've never been so tired in my life," she replied.  
  
"Geesh, Serena, what are you doing anyway?"  
  
"I'm studying for my midterms, I really need to pass them, I don't want to repeat a grade."  
  
Andrew left to get her Sprite thinking guiltily of his neglected school books lying on his desk at home. Serena sighed and returned to her work. She rubbed her temple, all this studying was giving her a headache. Suddenly she heard a voice behind her. The last voice she would ever want to hear on a day like that.  
  
"Hey, Meatball Head, what's happening?"  
  
Serena glared up at him, "For your information, Darien, I'm studying."  
  
"Serena, studying? That's a first," he teased.  
  
Serena whacked him with her English notebook. "Ooooh, you jerk, leave me alone, I'm trying to concentrate." Serena turned back to her work once more, ignoring Darien. Andrew walked up with Serena's Sprite. He placed it next to her. She didn't take her eyes from her notes. Andrew left and went back to the counter. Darien followed him and sat on a stool, his eyes still glued to the meatball headed girl who was now reading through her textbooks.   
  
"Insulting her is not going to get you on her good side," said Andrew, appearing in front of Darien.  
  
"I know, but I can't help it. It's like every time I see her my mouth says something before I can stop it. I don't mean to insult her, it just happens." Andrew was the only one Darien had told his secret to. The secret was that he was head over heels for Serena. Andrew had noticed and spent three months trying to pry the secret out of Darien. Finally Darien had given in and told Andrew all his feelings for his meatball headed angel.  
  
"Darien, why don't you just ask her out?"  
  
"Very funny Andrew, like she would say yes to me...I mean all I ever do is pick on the poor girl."  
  
"But what if she did say yes? Isn't it worth the chance," Andrew asked persistently.  
  
"No, because if she said no then I would have nothing left to live for. As long as we remain like this, fighting, then there is always the glimmer of a chance that she could like me," Darien replied.  
  
"Listen to me Darien, you have to tell her how you feel or you could lose her forever. Serena is a beautiful girl and I'm sure you're not the only one who noticed that. Someone may come along and sweep her off her feet and she'll fall in love with him without giving you a second glance."  
  
Darien put his head in his hands. He burned with jealousy every time he thought of Serena with someone else. "I don't know what to do Andrew, I'm so confused right now." Darien stood up. "Anyway, I had better go, I'll see you around Andrew." He left.  
  
Serena sighed. Why did Darien always have to be so mean to her? It was bad enough that he picked on her but he had also done something worse. He had made her fall for him. Now she spent nights awake just thinking of him. It made it worthwhile to be teased by him everyday as long as she got to see him. She turned her thoughts back to her notes. She had to study. She was going to show all those people who thought she was stupid what she was really made of. With a little bit of determination Serena was sure she could do well. Anyway, she couldn't study here, it was too noisy. She paid Andrew and left.  
  
  
  
  
The next week Serena left the school exhausted. That was it, her last mid-term. She wouldn't have to deal with major tests again until finals. She was completely burnt out. All her normal energy was gone. She walked towards the park numbly. Her mind still in a daze from all the tests that day. She flopped down on a bench and pulled her jacket tighter. The wintry sun was doing nothing to warm the frigid air. She shivered a little.   
  
Still, even tired and cold as she was, she couldn't help but smile. School was over for three whole weeks. Her parents had promised that she could go on a skiing trip this year. She would be going alone because the rest of her family was going to visit some relatives. Serena was a great skier. She loved the thrill of flying down the hillside, the wind rushing past her, her hair flying out behind her. She looked down at her watch. Three-thirty.  
  
"Oh noooo," she yelled, "I'm gonna be late, Raye'll kill me."  
  
She rushed to the arcade. She flew through the doors and looked around frantically for her friends. She spotted them sitting in a booth holding a fast paced conversation. She walked over.  
  
"Hey guys, sorry I'm late, I just lost track of time."  
  
"Don't worry about it Meatball Head," Raye said, "We're used to it by now."  
  
"So, what are you talking about?" Serena asked.  
  
"What we are going to do on vacation," replied Amy.  
  
"Hey, what are you going to do, Sere?" asked Mina.  
  
Serena's eyes lit up. "I'm going skiing."  
  
"Serena? Ski? You gotta be kidding me," Raye snorted.  
  
Serena stuck her tongue out at Raye. "For your information, Raye, I'm a great skier."  
  
"I'll believe that when I see it," Raye retorted.  
  
"Fine, why don't you come up for a day when I'm at Lodge and ski with me?"  
  
"Thanks, Meatball Head, I think I will."  
  
"Good."  
  
Serena smiled. She and Raye may act like enemies but truly they were close friends. Mina excused herself to go get a drink. She ordered a coke and sat at the counter waiting for Andrew to bring it to her. She looked over to her friends and saw Darien. By the look on Serena's face he was teasing Serena again and she was yelling at him. Mina sighed. "Those two are so clueless," she said to herself.   
  
"Tell me about it," said Andrew, who had overheard her.  
  
"You noticed too?" asked Mina, "I thought I was the only one. It was driving me crazy. All the other girls think they're mortal enemies or something."  
  
"How can we get them together?"  
  
Mina laid her head on her hand. There had to be some way. Maybe if she could get them to meet when nobody else they knew were around. No one would know about their rivalry, so nothing would stop them from being nice to each other, well other than themselves that is. Suddenly Mina had a great idea.  
  
"Hey Andrew, does Darien like to ski?"  
  
"Actually, I think he does."  
  
"And...does he have Winter Break next week."  
  
"Yes...why?"  
  
"You have to get Darien to go skiing next week. He might meet Serena there and who knows what could happen."  
  
"Okay, Mina, I'll see if I can get him to go skiing. You don't know how hard it is to get Darien to take a vacation, but I'll try my best."  
  
Mina saw Darien walking over. She picked up her Coke, winked at Andrew, and left to rejoin her friends.  
  
"Hey Andrew, what's up?"   
  
"Oh, nothing much, Darien. What are you planning to do for vacation?"  
  
"Oh, I don't know, I haven't really thought about it."  
  
"Well, I know you like to ski...so why don't you do that?"  
  
"Oh, I don't know, Andrew, I'm kinda busy."  
  
"Doing what? Studying? C'mon Darien, you just finished your mid-terms. Take a break for once in your life, I insist."  
  
"Okay Andrew," Darien said hesitantly, "if you say so."  
  
When Darien left Mina caught Andrew's eye. He winked at her and flashed a V is for Victory sign. Mina smiled back. Everything was going to plan, now only if they could meet and start a conversation. Maybe they would realize that they didn't hate each other as much as they pretended to.  
  
  
  
Bright and early Monday morning Serena got out of bed. She checked over the contents of her suitcase. Plenty of clothes, money, hair supplies, and make-up. At a last minute thought she packed her broach as well. You could never tell when the enemy might strike. She carried her suitcase to the trunk of the car and heaved it in. She checked to make sure her skis and poles were in the car as well. She settled down to a large breakfast of pancakes and sausage.  
  
Finally everything was ready to go. Her family piled into the car. They drove Serena to the family cabin. It was near the lodge and she could catch a chair lift from there. The rest of the family helped Serena unload her things. Her mom kissed her on the cheek and told her to behave. Her dad gave her a piece of paper with the number of where they were staying on it. Finally they got back in the car and left. Serena waved goodbye until she couldn't see the car anymore.   
  
Serena went back into the cabin and looked around it. She carried her suitcase into the bedroom and unpacked her clothes. She went into the kitchen to see what food she had. There were enough non-perishable items in the cupboards but she would have to get some foods to stock the refrigerator. She checked the freezer and found nothing but a carton of ice cream. Smiling happily she found a bowl and put in two scoops of chocolate ice cream. Searching the cupboards she rejoiced when she found some chocolate syrup. She ate her feast of ice cream at the kitchen table.  
  
After finishing she decided to start skiing. She put on her jumpsuit. It was pink with a bunny embroidered on it. She put on her ski boots, goggles and earmuffs. She left her hair up in its usual style. Once she got out of the door she put on her skis. Grabbing her poles she made her way to the chair lift. After going up and down the mountain several times Serena felt her stomach start to rumble. She went back to her cabin to grab some lunch.  
  
Serena was just finishing up her bowl of tomato soup when she heard a knock at the door. I wonder who that could be, she thought. She opened the door and smiled.   
  
"Hey, Raye, glad you could make it."  
  
"Yeah, well, I just had to see you ski."  
  
"Well right now I'm eating lunch. Would you like some soup?"  
  
"Sure, sounds great."  
  
So the two of them settled down to eat. The gossiped and giggled for a while. Finally Raye stood up.  
  
"Serena, I have to leave in about two hours. Why don't we start skiing now."  
  
Serena nodded. She and Raye both changed into their skiing outfits. They headed out together and got on the chair lift. When they got to the top Serena looked over at Raye with an evil glint in her eye.  
  
"Race ya!"  
  
Raye grinned back. "You're on!"  
  
They both jumped at the same time and flew down the hill. Wow, Serena is fast, thought Raye. Geesh, Raye's really good, thought Serena. They were neck and neck down the hill. They reached the bottom at the same time. They stopped and panted, trying to catch their breaths. Meanwhile Darien was going up in the chair lift. He looked down to see two girls skiing down the hill. One of the girl's hairstyle looked very familiar to him. Meatball Head? What was she doing here? Where did she learn to ski so well?  
  
Raye and Serena continued to ski for the rest of the day. Raye finally left, saying she had to leave or her Grandpa would be worried. Serena waved a cheery goodbye then went back to her cabin. She left her skis and poles and put on her boots. She trudged up to the store near the lodge. She bought some milk and eggs for the morning. She also bought a frozen pizza for her supper.   
  
She cooked the pizza in the oven and sat down to eat. After eating her dinner she got ready for bed. She washed her face and brushed her teeth. She took her hair down and brushed it one hundred times. It took a lot of work to take care of her hair. Finally she got into to bed and fell asleep, exhausted.  
  
  
  
The next day Serena slept in. When she finally got up she realized it was almost noon. She jumped out of bed and made herself breakfast, or was it lunch? She decided to start skiing early that day. She was on the chair lift going up when she noticed that it was very busy that day. She was skiing down the hill. Suddenly someone swerved in front of her. She swerved out of the way but lost her balance and fell. She tried to get up but found she couldn't. Something had happened to her leg. Darien, who was skiing down the hill, noticed her. Oh my God, he thought, that's Serena, I have to go help her. He skied over to her and asked her what was wrong. She told him about her leg, he was wearing a helmet so she couldn't tell who he was. He picked her up, skis and all, and carried her to the nurse's cabin. The nurse told him to place her on a bed. He did so and took of his helmet.  
  
"Darien?" Serena asked incredulously.  
  
"Yeah, it's me," he said.  
  
"Thank you." She smiled up at him. Just then the nurse came over. She said she could take care of Serena now and he could leave.  
  
"Bye Darien. Thanks again."  
  
"You're welcome Meatball Head. See ya."  
  
"Ooooh, I'm overlooking that, but just because you rescued me."  
  
After that Serena had a pretty boring time. The nurse told her she would be back in a while with a bandage for her ankle. Serena had twisted it badly. The nurse told Serena to stay in bed and not to move. About an hour later the nurse still hadn't returned. Suddenly the door was thrown open and two people came in carrying someone between them. They laid him on the bed next to hers. Serena gasped. It was Darien!  
  
"What happened?" she asked.  
  
"He fell," said one of the men, "I think he got hurt pretty badly. He's knocked out cold. Where's the nurse?"  
  
"She went into town to get a bandage for my ankle, I don't know why she's not back yet."  
  
"Well, it is snowing a lot out there, perhaps that's why."  
  
"You can leave if you like," said Serena, "there may be other people that need help. I can watch him for you until the nurse gets back."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes, don't worry about it."  
  
So they left. Serena sat up in bed. She looked over at Darien. Then she shook his shoulders.  
  
"Darien, Darien. Wake up."  
  
"Huh.....Meatball head?"  
  
"Yes, its me. How do you feel?"  
  
"My head hurts."  
  
"Stay there, I'll get you some aspirin."  
  
She stood up shakily. Hopping on one foot she made her way over to a metal cabinet. She searched through it for awhile. Finally she found a bottle of aspirin. She went to a little sink and poured him a glass of water. She spilled about half a glass of water on the way back. She gave them to Darien and flopped back down on her bed.  
  
Darien took his aspirin and the nurse came back in.  
  
"I brought a bandage for your ankle. The snow is coming down heavily out there," she said, shaking snow off her clothes. Quickly she bandaged Serena's ankle and turned her attention to Darien.  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
"He fell, I don't know what's wrong with him," Serena filled in.  
  
The nurse checked him over. She said he had hurt his head and bruised a few ribs but he should be better by morning.  
  
"I have to go home now," said the nurse, "but I'll be back tomorrow morning."  
  
"Okay, bye," said Serena, "drive safely."   
  
"One more thing, if you're hungry there's a kitchen through that door."  
  
"Thank you, bye," said Darien.  
  
Once she had left Serena looked over at Darien. "So, what do we do now? It's only about five o'clock."  
  
"I don't know, how about we talk for awhile?"  
  
"Talk? Uh, sure. So, um, what brings you up to the Ski Resort?"  
  
"Well it's Winter Break and Andrew pretty much ordered me to stop studying and spend some time having fun."  
  
"You study a lot, huh?"  
  
"Yes, well I want to be a doctor."  
  
"That's great, Amy wants to be a doctor too."  
  
"Amy?"  
  
"You know, my friend with blue hair."  
  
"Oh her, she's shy, isn't she?"  
  
"Yes, but she's a great friend, she's always there when I need her."  
  
Serena was surprised to see the conversation flowing back and forth so easily. She had never imagined Darien to be a good conversationalist, perhaps because she had never had a chance to actually start a conversation with him in the first place. Truth be told Darien was a little surprised as well. Mostly when someone started to talk to him he would stop listening after awhile but Serena would ask him questions and keep him focused on what she was saying.  
  
When they had been talking for about an hour Serena's stomach abruptly cut them off by rumbling loudly. Serena looked embarrassed and Darien struggled to hold back a laugh. Figures Meatball Head would be hungry, he thought to himself. To Serena he said, "How about I go raid the kitchen for something to eat."  
  
"Great!"  
  
Darien left smiling and returned later with some spaghetti.  
  
"All right, spaghetti!," crowed Serena, "I love Italian."  
  
"Anything for you, Meatball Head,' he replied, then cringed.  
  
Strangely enough, Serena did not have a fit. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that because you made me spaghetti but please can you try to stop calling me that, it's very irritating."  
  
Darien's eyes widened. Serena asking him politely to stop calling her Meatball Head, that was too weird. Serena kept eating her food, unaware of the expression on Darien's face. He was shocked to the core. Finally he regained his voice.   
  
"What do I call you then?"  
  
"Well, I don't know. Amy and Andrew just call me Serena, Mina calls me Sere, Lita calls me Rena, oh, and my family calls me Bunny."  
  
"Bunny?"  
  
"Strange, huh? My middle name is Usagi which translates into Bunny or something, it's Japanese I think."  
  
He looked at her, "It suits you."  
  
Serena blushed, "Thank you."  
  
"Well Bunny," Darien said emphasizing her new name, "what do we do now?"  
  
"You," she said, smiling deviously, "can wash the dishes."  
  
"But I cooked," he protested.  
  
"You can't expect me to walk on this leg can you," she asked wickedly, "I didn't think so," she added as he left to do her bidding.  
  
Hmmm, she thought to herself, being stuck in bed isn't quite as bad as it seems to be.   
  
Finally Darien returned from the kitchen. "Hey Bunny, did you know it's past nine o'clock?"  
  
"Really? I can't believe it's that late already."  
  
"Yes, well we better hit the sack," said Darien, already turning the lights off.   
  
Serena snuggled down into her blankets. "Goodnight Darien."  
  
"Goodnight Serena, sleep well," said Darien, getting into his own bed.  
  
A few minutes later he heard Serena saying something quietly. "Powers of the Moon that be, protect me from mine enemy. And if you cannot then I pray, make me strong, my enemy, to slay." Serena herself didn't know where that had come from. She had known it since she was a child and she was certain her mom hadn't taught her it. She just knew it was important, almost like a thread of the past. She stopped thinking about it and fell into a deep sleep.  
  
  
  
Serena woke the next morning to find Darien staring frantically out of the window.  
  
"What's wrong Darien?"  
  
"Serena, I hate to tell you this, but I think we're snowed in."  
  
"No way!"  
  
"I got up early and waited for the nurse, when she didn't show up I looked out the window. The snow is almost to the top of the door. I don't know what to do."  
  
"There's a radio over there, why don't we see if we can hear a report on the weather or something," said Serena, surprising Darien with her cool logic. When she saw Darien's expression she smiled inwardly. Being leader of the senshi is definitely paying off, she thought.  
  
They tuned into the first station they could find. After a few minutes of music an announcer came on. "This just in. All routes to the Sierra Ski Resort are closed. If you are inside a cabin, please stay there. It may take a few days to get the roads clear. Thank you."  
  
Serena groaned. A few days? With Darien? How could she ever survive? Darien must have been thinking along the same lines because he turned to look at her and said, "How about we call a truce?"  
  
"A truce?"  
  
"Yeah, no arguing until we get out of here."  
  
"Sounds good to me."  
  
They shook on it, both feeling pleased with the agreement. Suddenly a thought struck Darien. How would her survive without kissing the life out of Serena? It was hard enough when he met her on the street but this would be impossible. He sighed.  
  
"Hey Bunny, what do you want for breakfast?" he asked.  
  
"Do we have cereal?"  
  
"Yes, we have Rice Krispies."  
  
"That sounds good."  
  
He got her breakfast and some for himself then returned to Serena. They ate in relative silence, neither having anything to say. Darien found himself being the first to break the silence.  
  
"How does your ankle feel today, Bunny?"  
  
"Okay, I'm going to try walking on it."  
  
She got up but felt herself falling back down. Darien caught her and pulled her close to him. Serena blushed. Neither of them wanted to leave their positions but finally Darien put her down, his heart protesting as he sat her back on the bed. He left the room for a second and returned with a pair of crutches.  
  
"Here, try these," he said.  
  
Serena did as she was told. After circling the room a few times she came back to the bed and sat down.  
  
"What should we do today," she asked.  
  
"Well, if I can find some paper I have a report to work on."  
  
"I'll help you look for some," she replied.  
  
They searched the entire cabin and finally found a few pads of paper in the nurse's desk. Darien grabbed one and started to work. Serena picked one up as well and sat cross-legged on the edge of her bed. She studied Darien for a few minutes, he was absorbed in his writing. Then she started to sketch him. When she had gotten her outline done she focused on the details. She didn't hear Darien come up behind her.   
  
"Hey, that looks like me," he said, "I didn't know you could draw."  
  
"Oh, it's not that good."  
  
"Are you kidding me? That's great."  
  
Serena blushed for the second time that day.  
  
"Well, at least I do something right."  
  
Darien caught the hidden pain in her voice. What he said had no effect on her, right? He didn't mean all those things he said, didn't she know that?  
  
"Serena, I'm sorry."  
  
"Wha?"  
  
"I really don't mean the things I say. I don't think you're stupid or clumsy." That was true. He knew she was smart, he just didn't think she tried. Also, he found her graceful. The klutz attacks were part of her charm. It was rarely her fault that she ran him over anymore.  
  
"Do you mean that," she asked hopefully.  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Oh Darien, you don't know what this means to me." She enveloped him in a huge bear hug. Darien was shocked but put his arms around her, returning the hug. I could get used to this, he thought happily. To Darien the hug was over as quickly as it started.  
  
The rest of the day past uneventfully except for a devious idea that passed through Serena's mind at about five o'clock. She came to Darien smiling evilly.  
  
"Darien, have you ever heard of Truth or Dare?"  
  
"Yes, why?"  
  
"Will you play it with me, only just truth, I can't do dares very well with my ankle like this."  
  
He smiled at her. "Sure." Besides, he thought to himself, how can a few questions hurt?  
  
The both settled down on their individual beds.  
  
"I get to ask first," declared Serena, "so Darien, boxers or briefs?"  
  
"Boxers, name the hottest guy you can think of."  
  
"Easy, Tuxedo Mask, describe your dream girl."  
  
"Kind, generous, loving, friendly, caring, sweet, and usually cheerful," he said, describing Serena, "what's your favorite color?"  
  
"What kind of question is that? Pink. What's your favorite color?"  
  
"Black. Do you have a crush on Andrew?"  
  
"I used to." Before I met you, she silently added. "Do you think my friends are cute?"  
  
"Not especially. Describe your first kiss."  
  
"I was at a masquerade and he took me out on to the balcony and we kissed. Funny thing is, I really don't know who that guy was. He looked so much like Tuxedo Mask."  
  
Darien gasped and Serena looked at him startled. "That was you? At the Embassy Ball. Amazing, but that means that...You're Tuxedo Mask?" It was a question, not a statement.  
  
"Yes, I'm Tuxedo Mask, and you're Sailor Moon."  
  
"Wow, this is too strange."   
  
"Tell me about it."  
  
"I'm going to go get something to eat. I'll be back in a second," said Serena, excusing herself. She got into the kitchen and leaned against the door. I can't believe this, she thought. Darien is also the guy of my dreams. Wait, Tuxedo Mask always saves Sailor Moon, does that mean he likes me? No, he likes my alter ego, why would he like stupid klutzy Serena?  
  
Meanwhile, in the other room, Darien's thoughts were very similar. Serena's Sailor Moon? No way! Hmmm, but doesn't Serena like Tuxedo Mask? If she did, she probably doesn't anymore, not after she found out who he really is. His thoughts were cut off when Serena re-entered the room, nibbling on a cracker.  
  
They stood in uneasy silence for a few minutes. Serena cleared her throat, then fell back into silence, having nothing to say. They just looked at the ground, neither meeting the other's eyes. Great, now what do I say, thought Serena. She cleared her throat again.  
  
"I'm going to clean up a little."  
  
Darien was shocked. Who would have thought Serena would actually volunteer to clean? How many other things did he not know about this girl? As if in answer, Serena turned on the radio and started singing along with one of the songs. She has a great voice too, he thought. Makes sense, I mean she has a good set of lungs on her. The thought of her screaming at him, her eyes twinkling, with a cute expression on her face, made Darien smile. Hey, this is still Serena, being Sailor Moon doesn't change who she is, he thought.  
  
"I'll help you, Bunny," he said.  
  
Serena smiled at him. Darien is still the same person he always was. Annoying sometimes, but with a good heart. She was really enjoying spending time with him. A thought struck her, what would happen when they finally got out? Would they fight again? Serena didn't want to go back to they way they were before. Oh well, she thought, might as well make the most of it.  
  
"Hey, Darien, I'll make dinner today."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
Serena disappeared into the kitchen. She came out 15 minutes later carrying two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Darien took one look and burst out laughing.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You made peanut butter and jelly?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Oh Bunny, that is so like you."  
  
"What's wrong with peanut butter and jelly?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Okay then."  
  
She handed him a sandwich. Darien ate it grinning and shaking his head. Could this girl possibly be any cuter?   
  
"Darien, what time is it?"  
  
"Oh, about eight o'clock."  
  
"Once again we are stuck without anything to do."  
  
"We always find something," he replied.  
  
"We usually end up talking. Hey Darien, what are you doing for Christmas?"  
  
"Oh, probably just staying at home."  
  
"Is your family coming over?" A look of pain appeared on Darien's face. "Oh Darien, I'm sorry. What did I say?"  
  
"It's not your fault. I don't have any family. I lost my parents when I was very young, in a car crash. I had amnesia and I can't remember anything about them. I lived in an orphanage until I was old enough to get a job."  
  
Serena looked into his eyes. "You were very lonely, weren't you," she asked softly.  
  
"Yes."  
  
She came over to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."  
  
"I don't want your pity."  
  
"Darien, I don't pity you, I care about you."  
  
"You do?"  
  
"Of course," she answered.  
  
"It's about time to get some sleep," he said.  
  
Darien fell asleep quickly, but Serena stayed awake, thinking. Darien had never had a real Christmas. He had never known the love of a family. Finally she fell asleep, leaving her troubles behind as she dreamt of a time long ago. A dream that would be forgotten by the morning.  
  
  
  
Serena woke up next morning to see Darien listening to the radio.   
  
"What's up?"  
  
"I was listening to a news report. They think they'll have the roads open by tonight and the snow cleared from the cabins by next morning."  
  
"That's great!" Serena jumped out of bed. Surprisingly she didn't fall. She walked a few steps incredulously.  
  
"Darien, my ankle's better!"  
  
"That's great, Bunny," he said, smiling, "how about some toast to celebrate?"  
  
"Sounds wonderful."  
  
After they ate their breakfast they did a few small things to pick up. Serena made the beds while Darien washed the dishes. Then Serena swept up the kitchen while Darien dusted the other room. Neither of them really liked cleaning but it helped pass the time. It looked like it was going to be a long day.  
  
"Bunny, I think I have figured out the identities of the other senshi."  
  
"Really? Who?"  
  
"Sailor Mars is Raye, Sailor Mercury is Amy, Sailor Jupiter is Lita, and Sailor Venus is Mina."  
  
"You got them all right. How did you know?"  
  
"It was pretty obvious, if you're Sailor Moon, the people your closest to had to be your senshi."  
  
"Hmmm, that makes sense. Should I tell them about you?"  
  
"I guess it can't hurt."  
  
"Great, we've been trying to figure out who you were for the longest time."  
  
The afternoon went by quickly. Serena tried to teach Darien how to sketch and he did a few sloppy pictures of her. She showed him her technique by sketching a quick picture of her reflection in the mirror. He tried again and finally got a presentable drawing of her winking at him. She sketched another picture of him. He was smiling at her with his dark blue eyes shining.  
  
Serena was feeling bored. Trying to lighten her mood she sneaked up behind Darien and tapped his shoulder.   
  
"Tag, you're it," she called out and started running in the opposite direction.  
  
"Oooh Bunny, I'm going to catch you," he yelled.  
  
Serena just giggled. They chased each other around the cabin. Darien would catch Serena then Serena would catch Darien. It went back and forth for a long time. Finally they collapsed on the floor. The looked at each other then simultaneously broke out laughing.  
  
"I haven't had that much fun for a long time," giggled Serena.  
  
"Me either," agreed Darien.  
  
"Too bad it all has to end."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, after we leave we'll go back to being enemies again, right? I mean there's no possible way for us to remain friends. The only reason we haven't killed each other was the truce," she answered, hoping he would disagree with her.  
  
"You're right," he answered, "us remaining friends is about as likely as you actually passing a test."  
  
Serena was hurt. She hated it when people teased her about her grades. Who did Darien think he was? She wanted to hurt him too, to make him feel as angry as she was.  
  
"Just because your an orphan doesn't give you the right to pick on people," she yelled at him, then clamped a hand over her mouth. How could she say such an awful thing?  
  
Darien's eyes burned with anger. "Get out of my sight," he yelled back, "better yet, the day I talk to you again is the day you actually pass your mid-terms," he said with a sneer, knowing that it would never happen.   
  
Darien's words angered Serena once more. She dragged a bed out into the kitchen and spent the rest of the day there, sulking. Darien flopped down on his bed, still a little angry, but also a little sorry, not that he was going to apologize to her. He decided it had been entirely her fault. Serena, in the kitchen, decided it was Darien's fault. He had made her angry, it should have been obvious she didn't mean what she said. With that thought came a sense of self dislike. She still couldn't believe she had said that. Each of them fell into an uneasy sleep.  
  
  
  
Serena woke up the next morning to the sound of snow being shoveled from the doorway. She ran to the door and looked out. The cabin was surrounded by people, most importantly:  
  
"MOM, DAD," Serena yelled, overjoyed.  
  
"Serena, honey, are you okay," her mom asked.  
  
"I'm fine Mom, can we go home? I'm dying to take a shower and change my clothes."  
  
"Of course darling, right away."  
  
They stopped at the family cabin for Serena to pick up her things. Then she went home. The first thing she did was take a shower. The hot water helped relieve the stress she was feeling. Then she put on a clean pair of jeans and a light blue sweater with snowflakes embroidered around the bottom. She brushed her hair out carefully. She looked at the clothes she had been wearing. She had dropped them in a pile outside of the bathroom door. When she picked them up three pieces of folded paper fell out of one of the pockets. She put her clothes in the laundry basket and walked back into the room, looking at the pieces of paper curiously. She unfolded them slowly. The first two were the pictures she had done of Darien. The third was one of the pictures Darien had tried to draw of her. Serena took one look at the last picture and broke down crying.  
  
This was how Luna found her five minutes later. She put her paw on Serena's back and looked down at the place where Serena's head was buried into her arms. When she did not get an answer from Serena what was wrong she settled down next to Serena and did something she had not done for a long time. She purred. The sound was comforting to Serena and slowly she relaxed and stopped crying.  
  
Suddenly her communicator went off. Great, she thought, that's just what I need right now. She picked it up.  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"Youma attack in the park," came the voice of Raye.  
  
"Got it," said Serena, "I'll be right there."  
  
She ran out of the house and started running towards the park. When she got there she ducked behind some bushes and transformed. Sailor Moon then ran the rest of the way to her friends. She yelled angrily at the monster.  
  
"I am the pretty suited soldier, Sailor Moon, in the name of the Moon I will right wrongs and triumph over evil, and that means you."  
  
Venus used her love chain to trap the monster. The rest of the senshi motioned for Sailor Moon to finish her off. She did so quickly and the fight was over. Slowly the senshi detransformed and left. Serena was walking away when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She spun around to see that it was only Mina.  
  
"Hey girl, what's wrong," she asked  
  
"Nothing, why?"  
  
"The other girls may be blind but I can tell a tear stained face when I see one. C'mon, you can tell we. That's what friends are for."  
  
"Okay Mina."  
  
Serena told Mina all about what had happened between her and Darien. Also, how much she loved him and how she was worried because he hadn't shown up at the fight. Mina listened silently as her friend poured her heart out. When Serena was done talking Mina walked over to her and hugged her.   
  
"You have to tell him," said Mina.  
  
"I wish I could but he told me never to talk to him again."  
  
"I really don't know what to do then Serena, you've got to make him listen then apologize."  
  
"Thank you Mina."  
  
Serena went home, determined to talk to Darien tomorrow. Meanwhile Darien was sitting on his bed looking at two different pictures. One was the picture that Serena had drawn of herself, the other one was the picture of her that he had drawn. He sighed quietly to himself before turning out the lights.  
  
  
  
The next morning Serena got up early. She wanted to look good for when she went to Darien's today. She got up, washed her hair and brushed it out carefully. She went down to get breakfast. She sat at the kitchen table and poured herself a bowl of cereal.  
  
"Hey Bunny, there's some mail for you." Serena cringed, she had forgotten her parents called her Bunny as well. A letter was thrown next to her. She stared at it curiously but made herself finish eating before opening it. When she finally did open it her eyes went wide with shock. Serena looked at her mom.  
  
"Mom, can I go see a friend for a little while, it's really important."  
  
"Okay Bunny, but be back in an hour."  
  
"Bye Mom! Thank you!"  
  
Serena rushed to the arcade and sought Andrew out.  
  
"Andrew, I need your help. You have to tell me were Darien's apartment is."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I'll tell you later, it's really important. Please?"  
  
"Okay Serena."   
  
So Andrew gave Serena Darien's apartment number and directions on how to get there. Serena ran all the way to the apartment building. When she got inside she felt a little nervous. On the elevator she felt a little more nervous. Walking down the hall she felt even more nervous. When she stood outside his doorway she was hit head on by a massive panic attack. Could she go through with this? C'mon Serena, she chided herself, you face youmas all the time and now your worried about talking to Darien. What kind of wimp are you? Then she reached into her pocket and touched the letter. Feeling it in her pocket gave her a little more courage. She knocked on the door.  
  
"Who is it?"  
  
"Darien it's me, Serena."  
  
"I thought I told you never to talk to me again."  
  
"That's not exactly what you said, and I have something to show you."  
  
"She slid the letter underneath the door."  
  
"What are these," he asked.  
  
"They're my mid-term results. I passed every one. That means you have to talk to me now."  
  
The door swung open slowly to reveal Darien standing there. He had bags under his eyes and looked like he hadn't gotten much sleep. He showed her in and motioned for her to sit on the couch. He sat in an easy chair across from her. She stared at the ground for awhile and twiddled her thumbs. Then Darien coughed and she remembered why she was there.  
  
"Darien, I'm sorry I acted like that. I didn't mean what I said. I was angry and I wanted to hurt you for hurting me," she said, looking at him hopefully, "can you forgive me?"  
  
"Of course Serena, if you will forgive me."  
  
"You're forgiven," she said, smiling at him.  
  
They chatted for awhile and suddenly Serena looked at the clock. She nearly jumped out for her skin. It was time for her to go. She told Darien and turned around to leave. As she was walking through the door she felt a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Hey Buns, I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" (Hehehe, almost exactly like the Manga. I love that scene. ^_~)   
  
"Sure Darien, but before I go I have to tell you something."  
  
She turned around to face him. She looked up into his eyes and before she knew what she was doing she stood on her tip-toes and kissed him. When they finally broke apart Serena was blushing from head to toe.  
  
"Well, I guess that's one way to say it, but in case you didn't understand, I love you, Darien."  
  
Darien looked stunned and Serena grinned at him. Finally he got his voice back.  
  
"How can I respond to that except like this?"   
  
He bent his head and kissed Serena gently.  
  
"I love you too, Bunny."  
  
  
  
The next day Serena went to the arcade with her friends. She talked with them for awhile and left them when Darien came. She walked over to Darien and he put his arm around her. She smiled at him and kissed him on the cheek. All of Serena's friends except Mina looked as if the end of the world had come. Mina smiled and gave Serena a V is for Victory sign.  
  
"I knew you guys would get together eventually," said Andrew and Mina at the same time. They looked at each other and blushed. Serena smiled at all her friends and then at Darien.  
  
"Should we get going," asked Darien.  
  
"Yes," said Serena.  
  
"Where are you guys going," inquired Raye.  
  
"Oh, to catch a movie, and then walk through the rose gardens."  
  
All the girls sighed at the thought of walking through the rose gardens with the guy they liked, even Amy.   
  
After Darien and Serena left Mina turned to the other girls, "We have got to get boyfriends."  
  
The End (Finally, phew)  
  
  
  
Watcha think? Should I be put to death for writing this? See ya next fic!  
-Missie  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
